New owners and big plans for Trojan Hotel

Project joins other major efforts to renew downtown Troy

Leigh Hornbec, Times Union

By Leigh Hornbeck

Published 8:40 pm, Friday, July 12, 2013

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday morning, July 12, 2013, in Troy, N.Y. Terry and Donald O'Brien, former owners of O'Brien's Public House in Lansingburgh, will reopen the bar and restaurant when the renovation on Third Street is complete. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union )

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday...

Terry, left, Ali, center, and Donald O'Brien, right, stand in a room that will be the new restaurant for the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday morning, July 12, 2013, in Troy, N.Y. Terry and Donald O'Brien, former owners of O'Brien's Public House in Lansingburgh, will reopen the bar and restaurant when the renovation on Third Street is complete. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union )

Terry, left, Ali, center, and Donald O'Brien, right, stand in a...

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday morning, July 12, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. Terry and Donald O'Brien, former owners of O'Brien's Public House in Lansingburgh, will reopen the bar and restaurant when the renovation on Third Street is complete. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union )

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday...

The facade of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday, July 12, 2013, in Troy, N.Y. Terry and Donald O'Brien, former owners of O'Brien's Public House in Lansingburgh, will reopen the bar and restaurant when the renovation on Third Street is complete. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union )

The facade of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday,...

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday morning, July 12, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. Terry and Donald O'Brien, former owners of O'Brien's Public House in Lansingburgh, will reopen the bar and restaurant when the renovation on Third Street is complete. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union )

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday...

The interior of the Troy Hotel, which is under renovation, Friday morning, July 12, 2013 in Troy, N.Y. Terry and Donald O'Brien, former owners of O'Brien's Public House in Lansingburgh, will reopen the bar and restaurant when the renovation on Third Street is complete. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union )

First 12 Second St., then 207 Broadway, then 9 First St., now 43 Third St. — the former Trojan Hotel — is the latest in a line of old buildings to get new owners and renovation plans in downtown Troy.

Terry and Donald O'Brien, both 43, are the new owners of the 19,269-square-foot building. The couple did not reveal what they paid for the property, which they bought from Scott Sacci.

They plan to re-establish O'Briens' Public House this fall on the first floor of the hotel, which includes a ballroom in the rear. Next they plan to re-open the historic Trojan Taproom in the basement, a once-popular watering hole among city leaders, by December.

For those wishing to contribute, the O'Briens have set up a restoration fund for the Trojan Hotel. Donors will receive different levels of recognition based on contribution.

"Troy is a tight-knit community of people who really care about our landmark buildings," Terry O'Brien said. "People want to help, to contribute, and the restoration fund is our way for the community to feel a sense of ownership for this place."

The O'Brien family, Donald, Terry, Ali and DJ, ran O'Brien's Public House for 20 months at 443 Fifth Ave. in Lansingburgh until closing this June, when they announced plans to relocate the business and their residence downtown. Their Lansingburgh house burned to the ground in September. They plan to live above their new restaurant in the second and third floors of the original 19th century building.

The O'Briens are working with Jeff Buell, of Sequence Development, to explore the option of turning the upper levels of the 70-room circa 1915 hotel addition into storage units to serve the downtown community. Buell has been recently involved in the rehab of the Bindery at 9 First St. and the Clark House, formerly The Tavern, at 207 Broadway.

"We know we have some big shoes to fill with this property. The DeGiorgio family, who ran the Taproom for many years, were legends," Terry O'Brien said. "We have generational ties to this building, too, and we're happy to bring it back into the family."

Donald O'Brien's godparents, the Toligians, owned the Trojan in the 1960's. His parents first met at the hotel, then had their wedding reception and their 25th anniversary celebration there.